Smoking tobacco in a hookah has been a tradition unchanged for hundreds of years. A hookah is a traditional Middle Eastern or Asian device and is also commonly known as a water pipe, bong, or nargile/nargeela. The hookah consists of four basic parts: the water filled base, which cools and cleanses the fumes by removing tar, nicotine and other undesirable by-products; the bowl, which contains the tobacco or whatever else is being smoked; the pipe, which connects the bowl to the base by a tube that plunges into the water; and the hose, which connects to a second tube in the pipe for transferring the cleansed smoke to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,109 to Kahler; U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,499 to McFadden et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,410 to Seroussi; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,954 to Fornaciari show various types of hookahs and water pipes known in the art.
The tobacco, or other material to be smoked, located inside the bowl of a hookah is typically heated by charcoal. A layer of aluminum foil is wrapped along the top of the bowl and the charcoal is set on this foil. Perforations are placed in the aluminum. Once the tobacco is lit, the aluminum begins to heat and this heat is transferred through the perforations to the tobacco product within the bowl.
There are several disadvantages that exist with this heating technique. Aluminum is known to produce gases when heated that are harmful to the lungs. Additionally, the charcoal produces ashes that fall through the holes in the aluminum, getting mixed with the tobacco and changing the flavor. Another disadvantage is that the heat is located on top of the tobacco, causing the tobacco to burn quickly resulting in a harsh smoke, and the heat often does not transfer to the tobacco on the bottom of the bowl. Still another disadvantage to this heating technique is the chance of bumping the hookah, causing the hot coals to fall on the floor or the user. Still yet another disadvantage is that the charcoal moves about the top of the foil due to vibration of the hookah during heating, thus one is constantly repositioning the charcoal. Finally, a last disadvantage is that stirring and/or replenishing of the tobacco within the bowl is difficult as one must remove the charcoal and foil from the top of the bowl in order to access the contents therein.